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Don't give up hope, but know that this is going to be a bumpy ride.
You're absolutely right about this bumpy ride. As the late, great Bob Murphy used to say when going to the ninth inning, time to "fasten our seat belts".
I'll second that. But as a lifelong Mets fan, if I've learned anything, it's that they do have a propensity for pulling off the unexpected.
That's true...
Nobody expected them to miss the playoffs the last two years!
Sorry. I had to. It hurts me as much as anyone else, but it was right there. And nothing we say here is going to determine where they go from here anyway. It's all up to them.
And nothing we say here is going to determine where they go from here anyway. It's all up to them.
I'll second that!
The really weird part of the deal is that when you put all the analysis aside, the Mets really aren't any worse than anyone else in the division or the league. Call it lower standards than there used to be, but they've got just as much of a chance to win the division as anyone else.
And I say this even with the recent rash of injuries that the broadcasters wave like a banner of excuses. If you ask me, the only one that really affects the team is Jose Reyes. You would not hear me complaining if someone made a decision to give the first base job to Dan Murphy (I think there's about to be a huge mistake made with him, if they start bouncing him back and forth between the outfield and first base. Put him at one place and keep him there, for heaven's sake!)
I'm glad that Brian Schneider is coming off the DL, mainly because he has shown a definite ability to throw baserunners out (I've still got Mike Piazza and his inability to do same floating around in the back of my mind). But at the same time, I don't believe that his return should mean banishing Omir Santos, who has been nothing short of electric.
I can promise you that there is less than a 0% chance that Daniel Murphy will ever play another inning in the outfield while wearing a Mets uniform. I don't know how public they decided to go with admitting that it wasn't a good experiment, but privately they did come to that conclusion.
The biggest problem the Mets have right now is the schedule that is right in front of them. Every team has injuries. The Mets squeaked by to an extent because of the ease of the schedule; well, aside from getting swept by the Pirates. Now things are really going to tighten up. The next month is going to be very difficult for both the Mets and the Phillies, but right now, on paper, the Phillies are putting a better team on the field. Then again, baseball isn't played on paper, but this is going to be a tough stretch for the Mets.
No arguments about a week of games against the Phillies and the Yankees. But, hey, that 6-5 win to start things off against Philadelphia last night was one damned exciting game. There was every opportunity for the Mets (or as the broadcasters like to say these days, the "injury plagued Mets") to crumble in the face of the Phils' power. They did not. They hung in there and came out ahead.
And, check it out: Lidge on the DL. I'm waiting for some Phillie fan to tell me how they're going to win the division without a closer. Makes the Mets look awfully wise for going out and signing Francisco Rodriguez.
I'm waiting for some Phillie fan to tell me how they're going to win the division without a closer. Makes the Mets look awfully wise for going out and signing Francisco Rodriguez.
I'm not a Phillie fan and I can pretty much assure you they are going to win the division. This is a very good team as it is, and they're going to get another front-line starting pitcher.
Francisco Rodriguez has been just about perfect, but he can't do his job unless he's handed a lead. That means the Mets have to actually run out fly balls, not run themselves out of innings, hit in the clutch, and for some of them actually stay on the field. These are problems the Phillies just don't have.
Sorry. The Phillies out-class them in almost every category minus starting pitching, and Santana can't pitch every night. Having said that, the Phillies pitching has been pretty damn good, and with signs that it should be better soon through some kind of an addition.
The Mets are closer to third place tonight than they are to first, and they have plenty of holes right now, including the one in Luis Castillo's glove.
I'm not a Phillie fan and I can pretty much assure you they are going to win the division.
As I said to someone else in a different thread, things happen in baseball that go against expectations, to say nothing of predictions and proclamations emanating from the so-called "experts." So I propose that we do something potentially radical: let's wait until the season ends, and see how the standings look on that day. Forget about handing titles and championships to anyone in mid-June.
I propose that we do something potentially radical: let's wait until the season ends, and see how the standings look on that day.
You want to introduce things like patience and level-headedness into a baseball discussion?
About a New York team?
I will tip my Citi Field Opening Day Mr. Met cap to you. Few people are willing to do what you're suggesting.
I'm not trying to sound rude or sarcastic when I say that. You are handling the season a lot better than even some of the people who work for this team. I seriously do respect that.
I will tip my Citi Field Opening Day Mr. Met cap to you. Few people are willing to do what you're suggesting.
I'm not trying to sound rude or sarcastic when I say that. You are handling the season a lot better than even some of the people who work for this team. I seriously do respect that.
I thank you, but I must be honest and say that my stance is based partly on the fact that we can't actually see into the future...and partly on nerves. If the Amazin's were sitting on top of a 15-game lead, I might sound just a tad bit less rational. Two consecutive seasons of horrendous September collapses have a way of inducing a philosophical mindset. (And if the detractors turn out to be wrong, they'll hear plenty from me, don't worry!)
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